Crimson Skies

Dorak - A Chatty Stranger

We travelled through a small town where a bandit stole a man’s ring. He was a shady character, so the local constabulary did not believe his story. Once we saw the place for the ambush, it was our duty to warn the constables. They weren’t fond of our interference or showing them up.

We travelled through a town of no real importance where the workers on the road earned Kumori’s enmity. Coatl gave one the evil eye… but I realize I have no great insight into pranks or cowing someone. Either you die by my blade or are saved by it.

We reached Nevada – a town of some mystery. There’s a curfew from before dusk to after dawn. There’s a lord on the hill who is never seen outside of the hours of curfew.

It reminds me of Withridge. I still wonder what is really going on there… and what happened to that demon.

There was an ogre at the inn who tried to get me to gamble with him. I held my blade but the thought of a fight at the inn was tempting… it was only because of possibly ties to the Aspis and World Trade Consortium that I refrained. Let my enemies think me a shadow… I do not need to advertise my presence to them beforehand.

In the night, I worried that a dragon was clawing it’s way up through the center of the world. I snuck down, and it was merely the ogre snoring. A halfling he gamed with earlier was apparently his stuffed animal, and begged my help.

I didn’t particularly trust myself to help him without taking advantage of the situation to coup de grace the ogre. I went back to bed.

The next day was a journey to Castillo Grande. A bunch of jackbooted thugs interrogated us about our comings and goings and every little thing.

We met Charles – an archaist who ingratiated himself to Kumori by helping clean some nightsoil from him.

He is eager to pay it forward – he’s a little vain, but I like him better than Zomos, and he’s also part of the Explorer’s.

He gave us invaluable advice about the Ionian oracle and what it would take for us to earn the right to get a boon from them.

We now have a goal and a timeline. It’s a start… though my plans to impersonate an Ionian envoy for the arrow of Apollo were not well received.

Still, since I felt lucky, and had a forger’s kit, I tried my luck at forging a certificate that indicated I was an emissary. I think it was a good result… though I am not certain when I would put it to use, better to have and not need than need and not have, right?

No time to read… too restless at night… sorry if you feel that I ignored your letters.

Oh, Charles thinks he has some confirmation of Mom and Dad’s survival, though it may be they were ‘disappeared’ by the Explorer’s ‘Inquisition.’

That’s a tall order to wrap my head around. The Explorer’s using Mom and Dad with some mind control artifact? Also, what if they are PART of the Inquisition? I can’t think it of them, but I don’t know how much they see it as part of a greater good. Protecting family and the world are strong urges for all dwarves, as well you know.

I’m trying to pick up Espagian. Too busy studying to read, too restless… but I’ll get to the letters when I have time.